Dough-rounding machine.



H. M. RUFFIN.

DOUGH ROUNDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY29, 1911.

' Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

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H. M. RUFFIN.

DOUGH ROUNDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1911.

Patenfied Sept. 3, 19.12.

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WITJVESSES %ZF $11 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY MALLARD BUFFIN, OF MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE.

DOUGH-ROUNDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 3, 1912.

Application filed May 29, 1911. Serial No. 630,244.

a horizontally moving bar for the purpose of compressing and rounding balls of dough, for use in baking.

The object of my invention is to alford facilities for the proper adjustment of the wings or planes independently of each other; to provide a direct application of power from the rounder shaft to the wings; to reduce to a minimum the vibration, in such machines, by the use of revolving cams applying the power direct to the wings; to provide a machine of this character in which each wing is a working unit, inclependent of the other; and with these and minor objects in view, my invention consists of the parts and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of a dough rounding machine embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the machine; and Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 44, Fig. 1.

The table or platform T, its supports L, the braces 11, the hanger a secured to the under side of the table, and the shuttle bar guides 79 p, constitute the'framework of the machine. The shuttle bar guides p p are provided with a depending tongue p to be hereinafter referred to.

A shaft B is journaled in the hanger a and carries at one end a power pulley and an idler pulley, and at the other end a small beveled gear 6, which meshes with a gear 0 keyed to the rounder shaft 0, the latter being journaled on the braces 11 at each end of the machine.

On the rounder shaft G are keyed four round cams or eccentrics d d provided with a grooved perimeter, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, in which the banded end at of the arms D D are securely fastened by means of a clamp m pivoted at m to the arm D, the free end of the clamp being provided with a lip m corresponding to the lip m on the band of the arms D D, to which it is secured by means of a suitable bolt m whereby the arms D D are securely fastened to the cams or eccentrics d d.

The arms D D are pivotally connected by means of a suitable bolt to the inner arms E E there being a suitable cross head carried by said bolt which reciprocates in the guides e 6. The arms E E are in turn secured to the wings F F by means of a'clamping bolt 1 and held rigidly by said bolt in their adjusted positions, there being a joint f between the arms E E and the wings F F provided with intermeshing serrations 0r teeth. It will be noted from Figs. 3 and 4 that the working faces of the wings F F are concaved.

Bevel gear G is keyed to the shaft C and meshes with a small gear or pinion on the under side of the shuttle bar disk H, carrying a wrist pin J to which a shuttle bar pitman rod I is secured at one end, the other end of the pitman being secured to a depending arm c', which is rigidly secured to the end of the shuttle bar S.

The shuttle bar S moves in a groove in the center of the table T (see Fig. 4) and is controlled at the top by means of the depending tongue p', on the guides p p, which projects into a groove formed in the top of the shuttle bar. The beveled gears G and H (the latter being secured to the disk H) are so geared as to make the shuttle bar S take its full forward stroke while the wings F F are nearest together, that is at the limit of their inward stroke, and to recede at the time when the wings are at the end of their outer stroke.

The connecting arms D D work on the cams d d and are keyed opposite each other at each end of the machine, as shown in Fig. 4.

The wings F F move simultaneously toward the center of the table T and near the shuttle bar S, pressing the dough compactly against the shuttle bar S as the latter moves down the center conveying dough toward the end of the table T. When the shuttle bar S has completed its forward stroke, the wings F F recede, allowing the dough to rest on the table between the wing and bar.

When desired I may render the wings F F on one side of the machine inoperative, by disconnecting the bars D D from their eccentrics and thus operate only one side of the machine. Either of the wings F F may be disconnected without interfering with the successful operation of the other wings, each wing being independent of the other.

Each wing can be tilted at different angles, by reason of the clamping nut f so that its base will enlarge or decrease the space between the wings and the shuttle bar, so as 'to accommodate small or large balls of dough.

R is a rod pivotally secured to the wings F F at one end, while its other end is adjustably secured as at R to the arms E E, whereby the wings are adjustably secured in any desired position. This arm R co-acts with the fastening f.

The shuttle bar S is provided on its working faces with a roughened metal to increase the friction between the dough and said bar, and the working faces of the wings F F are also roughened for the same purpose.

I claim:

1. In a dough rounding machine, the combination with a wing of a bracket on which the wing is pivotally mounted, a rod pivotally mounted to the upper edge of said wing and provided with an elongated slot, a pin on said bracket adapted to enter said slot and means to clamp the wing on its pivot in an adjusted position, a slotted guide for the lower end of said bracket and a power shaft and an arm connecting said bracket to said shaft whereby the wing may be reciprocated laterally.

2. In a dough rounding machine, the combination with a shuttle bar having a roughened face, of a wing on each side of said bar having a roughened concaved working face, a bracket for each wing to which the wvings are respectively pivoted, a rod pivotally connected to the upper edge of each wing and provided with an elongated slot, a pin on each bracket adapted to enter said slot, means to clamp the wings in an adjusted posit-ion, a power shaft, an arm connecting said shaft to said bracket whereby the wings are reciprocated laterally, a bevel gear mounted on said shaft, a bevel pinion meshing with said gear, a disk carried by said pinion, a wrist pin on said disk and a link secured to said wrist pin and to said shuttle bar whereby the shuttle bar is reciprocated longitudinally.

The foregoing specification signed at Memphis, Tennessee, this 8th day of May, a

VHENRY MALLARD RUFFIN.

In presence of two witnesses:

T. L. CAMPBELL, FRANK RUFFIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

